This study examines how handball has evolved over time by analysing handball manuals intended for educational purposes alongside national curricula for Swedish elementary school, between the years 1912-2011. The study has a particular focus on gender. Previous research has shown that both competitive sports and contemporary physical education are shaped by male norms. Competitive sports often distinguish male and female gender. However, handball is one of the few competitive sports where male and female participation rates are relatively equal. This may be because of the origins of handball within the school system, rather than within competitive sports. Despite this, there is a lack of historical research of the development of physical education in school, particularly in relation to handball and its development in general. This essay seeks to help fill that research gap. The essay´s theoretical framework is based on Judith Butler´s understanding of gender, contextualized through Jonny Hjelm´s perspective on physical education. Additionally, Eva Olofsson´s analysis of structural conditions in Swedish sports has contributed to the understanding of normative influences on gender roles within sports. The results suggest that handball in schools has been practiced according to male norms, although gender representation in the manuals often appears neutral. Over time, the manuals have increasingly aligned with the school curriculum, shifting their focus from describing the sport itself, to contextualising handball play within school. The main conclusion is that handball as played in school has been historically shaped by masculine norms, but the construction of gender within the school context has gradually become more flexible over time, due to the adaptation of handball to the school curriculum.